Pennsylvania makes a push to attract and approve carbon capture wells

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania state Senate on Tuesday approved legislation aimed at helping the nation’s No. 2 natural gas-producing state attract carbon capture projects and enable federally-funded hydrogen hubs, but critics say the bill lacks important safeguards.

The Republican-penned bill lays out a framework for how Pennsylvania would regulate underground wells that store carbon dioxide, a critical component of carbon capture and removal technology that supporters envision as a way to slow climate change.

It passed 30-20, drawing a blend of support and opposition from Republicans and Democrats. It next goes to the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

Backers say attracting carbon capture projects to Pennsylvania will be an integral part of building out two hydrogen hubs recently awarded by the Biden administration. One project involves energy-producing sites in southwestern Pennsylvania and the other is based around sites in the Philadelphia region.

“This is a proactive step to secure Pennsylvania’s future as a hub for carbon capture and sequestration,” the bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Gene Yaw, of Lycoming County, told colleagues during floor debate. “It is a pragmatic solution to a problem we all want to solve: reducing our carbon emissions without crippling the reliability of our electric grid.”

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